Solar-covered parking structures in Sacramento are providing a dry place to park… and renewable energy to the grid.

The final solar panel has been installed at the city's
South Area Corporation yard. It is part of phase one of a
city plan to increase renewable energy use. When all four
parts of phase one are complete, 8,000 solar panels will be on
rooftops and parking structures across the city. Councilman
Jay Schenirer says the plan is also about jobs.

SCHENIRER: "For us, the project actually put 250 people to
work, something that we greatly, greatly need here in
Sacramento. We expect that the second phase will continue
that trend with an additional 125 people"

The city council is expected to approve phase two at Tuesday's
council meeting. Solar City Incorporated owns and maintains
the panels and sells the power to the city at a discounted
rate. In exchange, Solar City gets a rebate from SMUD, which
adds the project to its tally of power supplied by renewable
energy.